Roadkill Refugee

The right wing is making a big deal out of this video, so might as well see what all the fuss is about. It looks like once again we’re provided with a pre-edited video with no context, much like the Reverend Wright video. I have no idea who the audience is, what the topic of the speech is, or what she said before and after this excerpt. But from what I can tell, it appears that she is speaking to college students at the University of South Carolina (presumably prior to the primary in January), and those visible in the audience appear to be African American. When the video starts, she seems to be challenging this audience to step outside of their comfort zones and take advantage of the diverse college community. I think she’s speaking to a predominantly minority audience and encouraging them to not “self-segregate” in dorms and cafeterias due to fears or stereotypes of other races. That’s a pretty positive message of inclusion and hope. In this context, in speaking of how it’s easier to not change and challenge ourselves, she says she understands that, “that’s America.” The right wing reaction is using those two words makes her guilty of “bashing America.”

Of course, if used in a completely different context, the words could have a negative intent. Such as if someone said “In America, they think having lots of expensive things makes you important, that’s America.” They could also be part of an extremely patriotic statement, too, such as “There’s only one place on Earth where thousands travel from afar every year to start over in the hope of a free and prosperous life, that’s America.” Context and intent makes all the difference.

Making an “America bashing” interpretation here requires ignoring the obvious intent of her words from the context. Her intent was to use short-hand for “that’s the way it is in life” - that’s the status quo. Or, like the John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” song, “ain’t that America.”

She continues after that, “but the challenge for us is whether we’re ready for change…” Again, from this limited context, I think she’s expressing a hopeful message that we don’t have to settle for the status quo of remaining separate from each other. We can overcome our fears and comfort zones.

Politicians often say “America can do better” — and nobody suggests it’s America bashing. John Edwards spoke with moral outrage about poverty in a country as wealthy as America, but nobody said he was anti-American for doing so because it was understood his intent was a positive message about making things better. Michelle has the same positive intent for the students in the audience. To twist her positive message into something anti-American is absurd.

What’s really frustrating is I learned of this video tonight from the Dan Abrams show on MSNBC, which had a panel with Pat Buchanan, Bill Press and a Washington Post reporter. They all quickly agreed that her comment was anti-American. None of them seemed to have taken the time to understand the context and setting - they just focused on the two words. The MSM is allowing itself to get manipulated. They need to do their jobs as journalists, not just regurgitate edited video produced by third parties without any due diligence or analysis.

This is the second hit job on Michelle, and it’s wrong. She’s a very impressive, smart and honest woman and she’s being defined as a monster before America even gets to know her.

Meanwhile, McCain gets fundamental facts wrong about al qaeda and Iran several times and the MSM gives him a pass, essentially assuming the best of intentions in his case.